Foundation garment



Aug. 21, 1951 J. LEONARD ETAL FOUNDATION GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 11, 1949 INVENTOR.$ JZse h keg-him! Huuda. M. Ihsn WM Mo Aug. 21, 1951- J. LEONARD ETAL 2,555,453

FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed May 11, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORgS Lunaa. M. Ibsen.

Patented Aug. 21 1951 FOUNDATION GARMENT Joseph Leonard and Hulda M. Ihsen, Allentown,

.Pa., assignors to Charis Corporation, a corporation of New York Application May 11, 1949, Serial No. 92,544

2 Claims.

Broadly speaking, this invention relates to a foundation garment wherein lateral forces (such as are normally applied when the garment is Worn) act across the front of the garment to taut a pair of Special superimposed fabric sections and thereby simultaneously cause a pair of intersecting bone members embodied in the garment to flex inwardly under tension 50 that the garment is held firmly in position and grips the base of the abdomen for the most effective abdominal support. In such case, the inward tension, which acts at right angles to the lateral forces, is proportional to these forces and the foundation garment automatically adjusts itself in a firm position on the body relative to the stresses which are applied when the garment is worn.

In embodying this construction in a foundation garment we insert a pair of elongated intersecting bone members infixed position lengthwise in the front of the garment in conjunction with .a pair of superimposed fabric sections. The fabric sections are attached to the lower front portion of the garment on either side of the intersecting bone members: one fabric section being attached at one side along the line formed by the bone member on that side below its point of intersection, and the other fabric section being attached on the other side in similar manner. The opposite edge of each fabric section is attached at the outer side of the garment so that eachfabric section is oppositely disposed relative to the intersecting bone members.

Since the intersecting bone members overlie each other, one of the superimposed fabric sections overlies part of the lower front portion of the foundation garment and the other underlies the corresponding oppositely disposed portion.

These fabric sections are attached to the garment with suificient play unextended position so that when the garment is extended they lie flush with the fabric of the garment. Each fabric section is preferably cut at the bottom edge along the warp thread of the cloth so that when the section is under tension the pull Will be against the warp thread, resulting in the least amount of stretch of the cloth. However, this is not necessary when the fabric sections are made of elastic material which resume their normal shape after the tension is removed. The top edge is free and unattached. In such case, the fabric of each superimposed section forms characteristic folds when the foundation garment is unextended.

The intersecting bone members may be formed With, a slight fixed inward curvature at their lower ends. With the construction of this invention, however, the effective inward tension is applied exclusively by the lateral forces acting through the superimposed fabric sections on the lower portions of the intersecting bone members and it is this lateral expansion which causes the intersecting bone members to flex inwardly under tension which increases and decreases relative to variations in' the lateral stress. In such case, the tension applied is automatically adjusted relative to the needs or the wearer of the garment without discomfiture.

This construction may be embodied integrally in the foundation garment or it may be utilized in a separate section, such as an abdominal belt, which is attached to the foundation garment. The bone members are embodied in the fabric panel of the foundation garment in the conventional manner and may be made of any rigidly flexible material, such as whalebone, stainless steel, or the like.

In the drawing Fig. l is a front elevation showing the construction of this invention embodied in an abdominal belt with portions cut away; Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing the construction in greater detail; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line -33 of Fig. 2 showing the structure in its unextended position; Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 3 but shows the garment in its extended position; Fig. 5 is a sectional View along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 showing the bone member in normal unextended position, and Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 5 showing the bone member under inwardtension as a result of the lateral forces acting through the superimposed fabric sections.

The body of the foundation garment is formed of panel members [6, together with elastic gores Ii. The abdominal belt I2 carries the construction of the present invention and contains an overlying separate fabric section I l and a corresponding underlying section l5. A diaphragm belt [3 may be carried by the abdominal belt l2. The bone members it and I1 are embodied in the member l2 so that they intersect lengthwise and the fabric section It is attached to the garment along the oblique line Ila formed by bone member ll below its point of intersection. Fabric section I5 is attached to bone member If) along the oblique line Isa below its point of intersection. These bone members are preferably curved inwardly at their tips 29 and 30.

At each opposite side, fabric sections M and [5 are attached vertically to the member I2 at seams 26 and 25. respectively. The base of the members may be attached to the base line of the garment by means of binding tape 22 at seam 2 l, but the upper bias edge 23 of members 14 and I is free and unattached. Fabric sections l4 and I5 form folds 2'1 and 28 as shown when the garment is unextended. A triangular section 20 is carried in the upper portion of the member l2, together with panel members l8 and [9.

The effectiveness of this construction can be seen by comparing the structure of Fig. 3 with Fig. 4. In Fig. 3 the garment is unextended and the characteristic folds of the superimposed sections I l and I5 are clearly shown. When the garment is Worn, lateral forces act across the garment and the superimposed sections 14 and 15 are held taut against panel sections l8 and I9. These forces are transmitted through the bias sections Hi and I5 and cause bone members [6 and If to flex inwardly under tension. This can be seen by comparing Fig. 5, where the bone member if is shown in its normal position without any lateral force being exerted on the end 30, with Fig. 6, Where bone member [1 is flexed inwardly under tension in response to the lateral extension of the garment. This construction naturally adjusts itself to the body of the wearer as the tensioning and flexing of the bone members l0 and IT is always proportional to the lateral displacement of the garment as worn.

What we claim is:

1. In the front portion of a foundation garment consisting of a plurality of fabric panel members including a front fabric panel member the structure which comprises: a pair of elongated bone members embodied in the front fabric panel member so that such bone members intersect and cross each other at about the horizontal mid-point of such fabric panel member slightly below the vertical mid-point thereof, a pair of superimposed fabric panel sections attached to the lower portion of the front fabric panel member below the point, of intersection of the aforesaid bone members, one of the aforesaid fabric sections being attached along its entire inside edge to the adjoining portion of the adjoining crossed bone member and the other fabric section being similarly attached on the opposite side of the front fabric panel member along its entire inside edge to the corresponding adjoining portion of the opposite crossed bone member, the attachment of such superimposed fabric sections to the aforesaid bone members being below the point of intersection of such bone members and the outside edges of such superimposed fabric sections being attached to the sides of the garment so that such superimposed fabric sections are oppositely disposed across the garment below the point of intersection of the crossed bone members, such fabric sections being attached with suflicient play so that when the garment is extended laterally the fabric sections lie flush with the underlying fabric panel of the foundation garment, whereby the lateral forces acting across the foundation garment in extended position taut the superimposed fabric sections and thereby simultaneously cause the intersecting bone members to flex inwardly under tension so that the garment is held firmly in position on the body of the wearer.

2. In the front portion of a foundation garment consisting of a plurality of fabric panel members including a front fabric panel member the structure which comprises: a pair of elongated bone members embodied in the front fabric panel member so that such bone members intersect and cross each other at about the horizontal mid-point of such fabric panel member slightly below the vertical mid-point thereof, a pair of superimposed fabric panel sections attached to the lower portion of the front fabric panel member below the point of intersection of the aforesaid bone members, one of the aforesaid fabric sections being attached along its entire inside edge to the adjoining portion of the adjoining crossed bone member and the other fabric section being similarly attached on the opposite side of the front fabric panel member along its entire inside edge to the corresponding adjoining portion of the opposite crossed bone member, the attachment of such superimposed fabric sections to the aforesaid bone members being below the point of intersection of such bone members and the outside edges of suchsuperimposed fabric sections being attached to the sides of the garment so that such superimposed fabric sections are oppositely disposed across the garment below the point of intersection of the crossed bone members, the aforesaid two separate overlapping and oppositely disposed panel sections being separate and overlapping only in the area between said bone members, whereby said superimposed panel sections are free to separate and flex inwardly in response to lateral tension in the foundation garment.

JOSEPH LEONARD. HUL'DA M. IHSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 239,943 Drewry Apr. 12, 1881 1,088,993 Jamme Mar. 3, 1914 1,565,808 Levy Dec. 15, 1925 2,100,163 Goodman Nov. 23, 1937 2,124,112 Kapinas July 19, 1938 2,174,136 Leonard June 27, 1939 2,426,931 Holt Sept. 2, 1947 

